Chapter 03

I should have thought about this thoroughly. No, I really should have. What makes me believe following this shady-looking old man was a good thing?

In later stories, in certain routes, this man would become a good man, walking the path of his redemption. But as far as I'm concerned, it's still far ahead in the future, and if we're talking about routes, I don't really know which route this world will follow.

Is it gonna be the true ending of Agave Route? If so, that's kinda... hm, heartbreaking, I guess?

The conflicts in that route were quite dark than most routes in the game, and I just don't really like to see my friend arrested in the end of it. I know I shouldn't speculate things this early. In the first place by looking at current timelines, I would say that it is still in introduction to the story with how Chris hasn't arrived in Kawakami City yet.

Well, rather than worrying about the future, I should worry about my current situation. I know that it is stupid of me to follow Shakadō so willingly like this, but unfortunately I am an opportunist at heart and this wild golden goose was presenting his golden egg to me right now.

He might be a bad guy, the antagonist in certain routes, but his skills as martial artist are the real deal, and the experience I will get under his tutelage will certainly help in the long run. The thing I really need at the moment was to build more real experience in how to fight against stronger opponent and someone who can guide me at the same time, and I believe this shady-looking old man is good enough for it.

I could easily go the safe way like joining Kawakami Temple and let Lu-sensei guide me, but I don't feel like it. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate them or anything, I just don't feel like it. Also if I remember correctly, Lu-sensei has a bias against someone like Shakadō or Momoyo who love and enjoy fighting for the sake of it, and unfortunately, I shared the same trait as both of them.

I love fighting as much as the next guy. The tension, the atmosphere, the pressure, the emotions, and those terrific and euphoric pleasures when I successfully overpowered my opponents, it is something that I can only find in battle, something that makes me feel alive for some reason. And I know how addicting those emotions are, but I still know how to draw the line. 

Well, I'm digressing. Anyway, I just don't feel like joining the Kawakami Temple. That's all, nothing more, nothing less.

Also, I had a feeling that things would be more fun if I stuck with Shakadō. I might have to fight against my friends in the future if Marōdo is a thing in this world, but then again, I can just mess with the story later if things are really getting too out of control.

"Oi, Sensei!"

We've been walking for 30 minutes by now after this old man 'kidnapped' me. Right now, both of us are inside the area called Kawakami Shinmachi, the easternmost part of Kawakami City, where the heavy industrial district is located at. I can see a lot of factories around the area we strolled in, which is why this whole complex is always covered in thick fog-like smoke. 

And if I'm not wrong, this district should have been where Itagaki Family's house was located.

Shakadō perked up as he glanced at me with an unreadable expression before shaking it off by putting the usual snake-like smirk over his face, "Hoo, calling me 'Sensei' already, eh?"

I raise my eyebrows at that and simply shrug my shoulders, "Well, now that I am officially your disciple, you're gonna teach me all kind of things, ain't you? Then it should be appropriate for me to call you Sensei, shouldn't it?"

The old man snorted when he noticed the grin I had on my face before his hand reached over my head and tousled my hair in rough manner, "Yeah, yeah, whatever you said, kid. So, what do you want?"

I reflexively growled at the hand that grabbed my head. I don't mind if someone pats my head or something like that, but I really hate it when someone messes with my hair. 

"Fuck, stop that!" I slapped his hand off my head and much to my chagrin, my hair flattened and so disheveled that it feels like I'd been hit by a typhoon or something, "...I'm just curious, you said we're gonna meet up with your other disciples, right? So I just want to know what kind of oddballs I'll have to deal with."

My new teacher threw an infuriating smirk at me first before looking on the road in front as his hands slid inside the pocket of his black slacks, "Let's see... There is a sadist, a lazybones, a gay and a brat... That's the kind of people you will meet right now."

"Wow, that's quite an interesting group of disciples you have there, Sensei."

I know the Itagaki siblings, not through personal experience but through distant memories buried inside my head, and to be honest, I had to agree with the way he described them.

"Hahaha!" Shakadō chortled as he kicked a small rock on the road, which hit the window of a nearby house, causing panic among the residents with how much screaming and shouting happening inside the house, "Well, you're not wrong about that. They can be really annoying and a pain in the ass to deal with sometimes, but I can assure you that all of them have good potentials and talents just like you. It's just that they haven't bloomed yet, and I just don't feel like leaving them alone and let their potential go to waste without someone guiding them. That's why I decided to pick all of them as my disciples."

This is it. This is the reason why I decided to follow this man. He may look like a jerkass, but he still has a heart of gold, no matter how rusted it was. I still remember the way he protected his disciples from getting punished by saying that he used special techniques to hypnotize and control them, taking all the blame for what his disciples did.

He may be a bad person, but he's a good teacher.

-----*Ma~ji~ko~i~*-----

"It's nice to meet you all, I guess?" I drawled unsurely as I scratched the back of my head but continued anyway, "As you can see, I'm being kidnapped by this shady-looking old man right now and forced to become his disciple. The name is Fukumoto Ikurō, by the way."

For a moment there was nothing but silence after my introduction until Shakadō suddenly guffawed like a maniac beside me. He had been ignoring the befuddled stares his other disciples had thrown at him.

Their expressions clearly say that they don't really understand on what's happening right now. Well, not the waist-length blue-haired woman over there though since she's sleeping peacefully under the kotatsu with a cute smile as if she was having a nice dream or something.

-----

[New Challenger has been found!]

Itagaki Tatsuko

Blue Cuddly Dragon

Rating: A

Reward:

+20 Physical Strength

+10 Spiritual Power

Wrestling

Berserk

-----

Damn, that was a cute title. And if I'm being honest, I had to agree that she would be nice to cuddle with, especially with how big and plump her boobs are. Oh god, I'm so horny now.

As I pushed down my uncontrollable hormones with hard effort, I changed my observation target to another woman beside Tatsuko who was currently crossing her arms under her ample chest. Her visible green eye narrowed at Shakadō and me respectively, and she seemed to dislike the notion of her teacher bringing a stranger to their house without permission all of a sudden like this.

-----

[New Challenger has been found!]

Itagaki Ami

Sadistic Cyclops

Rating: B

Reward:

+10 Physical Strength

+10 Spiritual Power

Bōjutsu

Pleasure Point

-----

Ignoring the stare the eldest daughter gave me, I averted my sight to another target. This one was a man with tall stature and a cocky smirk plastered over his face. He was currently leering at me with lust like a rapist he was. He was the one who I should really worry about from now on, since this motherfucker will not hesitate to rape me if he got the chance to.

-----

[New Challenger has been found!]

Itagaki Ryuhei

Butthole Hunter

Rating: B

Reward:

+15 Physical Strength

+5 Spiritual Power

Brawling

Intimidation

-----

He even dared to try touching my butt just now, which I interrupted by slapping his hand harshly and took my fighting stance just in case.

But before he can retaliate, a chill traveled down his back when he noticed the look his eldest sister gave him, "Tch!" Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he left the room much to my delight and relief. 

And not least, I look at the last person in the room, the youngest of Itagaki's siblings. A cute girl with knee-length red-orange hair tied in twintails, her dark green-eyes shone brightly like emeralds, almost breathtaking to look at if not for her cute pink lips that suddenly sneered at me.

"The hell you lookin' at, huh!?"

Right, I forgot that she's an insufferable brat.

-----

[New Challenger has been found!]

Itagaki Angel

Red Junkie

Rating: C

Reward:

+10 Physical Strength

Battle Continuation

-----

With a tick mark over my forehead, I match her glare with mine, "I dunno, maybe because you look like an idiot?"

Her glare intensified at that and she approached me with a golf club in hand, "Did you just called me idiot, you stupid monkey-looking ass!?"

"You got problem with it, you stupid gremlin-looking pussy!?" I growled, bumping my forehead against hers, which I can do easily since our heights are almost identical.

"That's it! I'll kill you!"

"Bring it on!"

That was the start for us to suddenly throw our attack at each other with so much vigor that a shockwave was created when my fist met her golf club mid-way. With Iron Fist and my Physical Strength combined, I can easily match the power of her golf club barehanded.

As Angel and I were too focused on each other, we didn't notice the change on Ami's features as her eyes and mouth twitched dangerously at the sight of us fighting inside the house like no one's business.

-----

(POV Change)

"Heh!" Shakadō on the other side snorts as he carefully observes Yonpachi trading blow after blow with Angel, clearly amused at what's happening right now.

Not Ami though, she's currently livid when she saw the big mess two brats just caused in the living room with how aggressive both of them were moving and throwing their attacks, "It's not funny, Sensei. Why did you bring that kid here?"

The old man raises one of his eyebrows at the question, "Didn't you hear what he just said earlier? He's your junior pupil now, so try to get along with him."

"You were serious about that?" Her eyes widened in surprise, she thought her teacher was joking like he always does, "Is he truly worth it?"

"Believe me. He is more than worthy." The grin on her teacher's face tells her that much. Shakadō then tilts his head towards Yonpachi's direction, as the said person was trying his best to avoid Angel's attacks while also throwing a counter attack at the same time. "Just look at that, he's going toe-to-toe with the brat even though he just learned martial arts three weeks ago. His potential is just that big, Ami. It's bigger than Tatsuko's and that's saying something."

Ami bites her quivering purple-colored lips, feeling disbelief at what she just heard. She knows how special her younger sister's talent was, there was no doubt that Tatsuko will get far as a martial artist. She believes that Tatsuko can even reach someone like Kuki Ageha or Kawakami Momoyo if nurtured right.

The problem is that Tatsuko is lazy by nature, as she rarely trains and prefers sleeping instead. That's the only thing that hindering her talent from blooming. Looking at Yonpachi with narrowed eyes, she still can't believe someone like him has more potential than Tatsuko. 

'Haah... There is no use overthinking this anyway. It'll only give me an unnecessary headache.' She huffs tiredly and shakes her head in an exasperated manner.

She just needs to believe in her teacher as usual.

"If you really think so, I'll put my trust in your decision then." Ami tucks her purple hair behind the ear, "Well, I'll go now, Sensei. I have a job tonight. And make sure those two idiots clean the living room before I come back home at midnight!"

After saying that, she sashayed sensually to the front door, and Shakadō blatantly stares at the movement of her wide hips and plump butts like a perverted old man he is.

With Ami finally gone, there are only four people left in the room. Two were still fighting and cursing each other like idiots, one is still sleeping blissfully under the kotatsu without a care, and the other one decided to watch night porn on TV.

-----*Maji de watashi niiii....zzzz...*-----

Ding!

[Congratulations! You have successfully defeated Red Junkie!]

You have received +10 Physical Strength!

You have received Battle Continuation!

-----

[Battle Continuation]

Are you sure you're not a junkie? Combat is available even in the verge of passing out. 

-----

Fukumoto Ikurō

Grandmaster of Kama Sutra

Rating: C

Physical Strength: 125 – 135

Spiritual Power: 39

Martial Art:

Sumo (Basic)

Karate (Basic)

Boxing (Basic)

Bōjutsu (Basic)

Kenjutsu (Basic)

Taekwondo (Intermediate)

Brawling (Intermediate)

Ability:

Sleight of Hand

Stealth

Iron Body

Iron Fist

Heightened Sense

Monkey Reflexes

Battle Continuation – New!

Loli Empowerment

-----

(POV Return)

"Fuck you...!"Angel wheezed out as she sprawled over the tatami floor like a starfish. Her body was covered in bruises and wounds, with only her face left alone since I didn't really want to aim her face in our fight. 

Look, I am an adamant believer of gender equality as well, alright! But hitting a girl in the face is beyond my capacity, not as a man, but as a cameraman. I have no qualms of hitting a girl and leave a bruise mark on their body, because those can be easily hidden behind the cloth they wear, but it wasn't the same for the face.

And as a cameraman, I can't really bring myself to hit girls' faces and ruin their beauty, it just feels wrong somehow. Did that sound very hypocrite of me? Well, it is what it is.

The fight between me and Angel finally ended with me as the winner, just barely though. Our power Rating may be the same, but I must admit that she's more skillful than I am at the moment. 

She doesn't just swing her golf club like a maniac like I thought she would. Each of her strikes always aimed at my vital points, which makes me rely on Monkey Reflexes and Heightened Sense a lot just to survive against such deadly attacks. In the end, I won simply because she ran out of gas first before me.

-----

[Heightened Sense]

The sensitivity of any of your senses, such as sight, sound, touch, and smell, has been increased drastically.

-----

"That's my line, you bitch...!" I growled while wiping the blood from the corner of my mouth, "You look scrawny but you hit like a fucking truck!"

"Speak for yourself, dickhead!" She snapped at me, her sharp eyes narrowed even more, glancing in my direction, "Your punches are not so different! I thought you were a weak-ass monkey, but you're a fucking gorilla!"

I raised my bruised hands up in protest, "Hey, I resent that!" She scoffed as I continued, "Gorilla may be cool, but I am a proud monkey and more handsome too. You don't compare me to another primate!"

"Whatever you say, ugly monkey."

"Hey!"

There was a momentary silence between us after that until Angel and I snorted at the same time, feeling somehow amused at the banter we just had.

"Itagaki Angel." Angel introduced herself in a low voice. I would have missed it if we hadn't been so close, lying side by side on tatami floors. Now that she mentioned it, she and her siblings hadn't really introduced themselves to me earlier.

"Call me Angel and I'm gonna break your legs though!" 

I couldn't help but snort at that statement, "Yeah right. Like hell I'll call you with that name when you are so far away being an angel yourself." I don't know if her parents were serious or joking when they named her with that name.

Angel lets out a bark of laughter when she heard that, "You're not wrong about that! My dad was a crazy bastard for naming me as such!"

I didn't miss the 'was' part there. As far as I remember, in the original series, their parents' status was unknown to many since the siblings have been living alone together from the beginning, with Shakadō taking the role of their guardian until Kawakami Temple took that right.

"I can see that..." Saying that in low voice, I propped myself up to sit position with a grunt. The ache in each bruise I had on my body worsened due to the sudden movement I just did, and I had this sudden urge to just lie down and rest more. But I hold it back and look at Angel beside me, "Hey, do you guys have first-aid kit or something? We need to treat our wounds."

"It's in the bathroom over there, straight up from here." Angel replied as she closes her eyes without trying to move much. She seemed to have no stamina to move anymore or she was simply too lazy to do so.

'Whatever...' I sigh and push myself up with difficulty. I can feel my knees wobbling right now just by standing up like this.

Unbeknown to us, Shakadō was looking at both of us the entire time with a knowing smirk plastered over his snake-like face, "Look at both of you now, so happy together."

The silence was deafening, and it doesn't take long for Angel to let out a strangled squeak-like shout when she finally registered the meaning of our teacher's words just now. Her snowy-white skin erupted in red, feeling embarrassed and angry towards the old man while I groaned in exasperation.

Old men and their habit to tease youngsters, man.

"FUCK OFF!" We both shouted at the same time in embarrassment and much to our chagrin, Shakadō laughs raucously at how synchronized both of us right now.

'This fucking old man...!' I grumbled inaudibly as I continue my way to the bathroom, while Angel threw some profanities against the sleazebag in the background. If she could move right now, I bet she'd definitely lashed out at our teacher with her beloved golf club.

I would love to do that too if I could actually punch his irritating face, but too bad I know my own limits. I can do nothing against that old man at the moment, but if I had the chance, I'd kick his ass hard, believe it!

It doesn't take long for me to find the bathroom and get the first-aid kit inside the cabinet. I also found some icepack in the kitchen since it was conveniently positioned beside the bathroom and I brought two packs with me to the living room.

Angel looks like she had finally calmed down from her earlier outburst but there's still a trace of annoyance lingering around her with how much she furrowed her brows and narrowed her eyes right now, boring a hole through Shakadō's back with her stares.

Meanwhile the man in question simply ignored the youngest Itagaki and continued watching the porn once again. His confidence in doing that so openly like that is something I can admire.

"I brought the first-aid kit and some icepacks too from the fridge." I announced as I approached Angel who was still cursing our teacher endlessly with her limited vocabulary.

Angel turned her head to me and lifted one of her crescent-shaped eyebrows, genuinely confused, "Yeah, I can see that. So why did you bring that thing here?"

I stare at her flatly, "Are you seriously asking that?"

"You have a problem with that, Monkey!?" She suddenly snapped at me and I just shook my head in response. "Why did you shaking your head like that!? Kah!! Stop giving me that sorry look like you're looking at some pitiful kid right now!"

"At least you understand your own mentality." I quipped before plonking myself down on the tatami floors beside her.

"Take that back, you dickhead!" She tried to flail her arms in protest like a brat, but the stinging pain on her body stopped her from doing so. In the end, she could only whine with her loud mouth, "I'm not some pitiful kid! I'm the Red Beast Ten!"

"Red Ben 10?"

"It's Red BEAST Ten, asshole!'

"Jetray, right?" I tried once again.

"NoOoOoOo~!!" She wailed pitifully, while I dipped the towel in my hand in clean water and gently rinsed her wounds. "It's should be Heatblaze or Water Hazard." She complained while hissing in pain after the warm towel touched the wounds on her skin.

"Meh." I huffed at that while focusing on the job, "Jetray isn't that bad."

"I know!" She winced when I applied pressure on her wounds with sterile gauze and wrapped it in bandages, "But Heatblaze and Water Hazard are way cooler!"

"Well, you're not wrong there, they are indeed cooler than Jetray. But I personally like Spidermonkey." I nod in satisfaction at my handiwork before working on her bruises this time by applying an icepack wrapped in a thin towel on her bruises mark.

"Of course you are!" She gritted her teeth when a cold sensation pierced her bruised skin, "You and your stupid obsession over monkeys is beyond my comprehension."

"Wow... You can use some difficult vocabulary!" I was genuinely surprised by that.

"He-hem!" Angel raised her chin in a very proud manner, "I am not stupid like you after all. Of course I know some words!"

"Yeah, yeah. Good for you." I shake my head inwardly at the simpleton in front of me. Well, she's cute, though. "And it's done." I notify her, now I'm done treating Angel's wounds and all, so it's my turn to treat my own wounds.

"Eh, ah... um, thank you..." Now that's really a cute face. Her cheeks are decorated in red as her pink lips quiver due to embarrassment. It seems like thanking someone other than to her relatives like this is new for her, which is why she seems so awkward and shy right now.

"You're welcome." My feature softened upon seeing her cute and innocent expression. I unconsciously gave her a smile that clearly caught her off guard, making her face the other way, refusing to look at me at all.

When I noticed that, I could feel something wrong and the atmosphere around us become awkward somehow.

"Mmh~ both of you are getting along so well~" Because of the weird mood between us, Tatsuko's listless voice makes both of us squeak in surprise because we don't really notice that she was already awake and had been looking at us so warmly right now.

"Tatsu-nee! You're awake—Ouch!" Angel yelps in pain due to her sudden movement.

"Hm~?" Tatsuko tilts her head in a very languid manner, as the green orbs hidden behind her half-closed lidded eyes filled with curiosity and concern over her youngest sister's current state. 

"You should calm down, youngest Itagaki. Just rest for now, you still hurt after all." I warned her before applying some light pressure with an icepack to the swelling on my forearm.

She stares at my face for a second before scoffing and face the other way once again, "Don't call me that. It's weird."

"So? What do you want me to call you then?" I hummed, glancing at her direction for a second, "I can't really call you with your last name with there are 4 of you in this house and it'll be weird if I call any of you with different suffixes like, Itagaki-chan, Itagaki-kun, Itagaki-san, or Itagaki-neesan."

Angel makes a face at the notion of me calling her 'Itagaki-chan', "Blech! That's gross!"

"See?"

On the other side, Tatsuko perked up when 'Itagaki-neesan' coming out of my mouth, "I don't mind if you call me Itagaki-neesan~". She seems to like it a lot.

To be honest, 'Itagaki-neesan' was supposed to be for Ami, but I guess with Tatsuko's character and personality, it's not surprising that she would love to have someone call her 'nee-san or nee-chan'. I mean, in the original series, she was trying so hard to be a good and cool sister for Yamato, though she failed miserably due to her lazy nature.

"Sure." I nodded in agreement with a big grin appearing on my face. Who am I to refuse such an innocent request, "Please take care of me then, Nee-san."

Tatsuko beamed when she heard that to the point her usual half-lidded eyes opened wide, showing how happy she was right now. Her expression was so bright that I had to reflexively cover my eyes with my arms so I don't go blind or something.

And before I could say anything, my face was covered and squished between something that felt soft, like super-duper soft, it is even softer than my high-quality Rizumi-chan (read: dakimakura pillow). I can even feel my reason slowly collapsing on its own as an enticing smell of a woman filled my nostrils right now.

So this is the rumored Heaven's Door? I've seen and felt everything.

Just as I started to enjoy the feeling of Tatsuko's soft and fleshy yet perky boobs squished my face, I suddenly feel pain coursing through my leg, causing me to yelp in surprise.

"Get your dirty hands off my sister, you pervert monkey!" Angel yelled at me indignantly as she grabbed onto my leg and pinched it at the same time.

"Ouch! You freaking gremlin! Stop getting in my way!" I shouted back at her while trying my best to shake her off my leg.

"No! I'll get in your way! I won't let you take advantage of Tatsu-nee's innocence! I'll protect Tatsu-nee's purity!"

"How rude! I am not that shameless!"

"You're saying that, but what's with those hands, huh!?" Angel grits her teeth while pointing at me with a face burning in anger. 

"Mmnn~ Nnahh~" Tatsuko moaned for the umpteenth time as I fondled her big breasts gently and skillfully, trying to find the pleasure point for her using Sleight of Hand.

That's right. I'd been groping her breasts all this time! I mean, how could I not!? She just basically presented her boobas for me to touch and feel when she hugged me like this!

And as a man filled with hope and dreams, it's my duty, my responsibility to touch such glorious and sacred treasures of a woman and love them with all of my heart!

She also seems like she doesn't really mind it if the way she just look at me with her clouded eyes was any indication. Her hands moved to cradle me close, patting the back of my head as if to encourage me to do it more.

But before I could indulge in her desire(?), I suddenly found myself missing the warmth coming from Tatsuko's body.

"Hmnn~ What...?" Tatsuko voiced her own confusion when she felt I was missing from her embrace as well.

I myself don't even understand what just happened with how fast and abruptly it happened. But it seems, Angel, through pure adrenaline, sprung herself on me and pushed me away from Tatsuko. That's why I found myself wrestling with the orange-redhead on the floor right now.

And since we're both still hurt due to earlier fight, we can't really put any strength in our wrestling match, so the only thing we can do at the moment was grabbing and tugging each other's hairs while screeching and screaming like a pair of monkeys.

When Tatsuko registered on what just happened, she giggled cutely at our current ridiculous situation before deciding to just watch our stupid quarrel like it was some interesting show from sidelines, not until her mouth says something that makes Angel and I stop our childish fight in bewilderment.

"Anyway~ who are you again~?"

"Huh?"

Now that I think about it, she was sleeping all the time until now. If that was the case, I guess I should introduce myself once more.

"Right, my name is Fukumoto Ikurō, the newest disciple of Shakadō-sensei, which means I am your junior brother. That's why I'll be in your care from now on, Nee-san." I would bow my head for courtesy if not for Angel still headlocking me right now.

Tatsuko smiled and giggled once again as her body jumped lightly while in the sitting position, causing her massive jugs jiggled up and down enticingly in front of me, something that my eyes followed with hyper focus, as if trying to burn the image into my brain.

"Okay, Kurō-kun~ Please leave it to this Nee-san~ I'll definitely take care of you~!"

"Yes! Please, Nee-sa—Ack!"

"Stop the act!" Angel interjects once again. She really tried to twist my neck just now, but luckily she failed due to her insufficient strength at the moment.

I can feel the pain on my neck like it was burning so clearly, "You fucking bitch! That's fucking hurt!" I expressed my rage with a grab around her long twintails and started pulling them, harshly.

Angel yelps in pain as her head bends backward, hurting her neck in the process, "Is this how you treat a girl, fuckface!?"

"Fuck you! I will treat you like a girl if you act like one!" I rebutted.

"Hah!" Shakadō barks in an amused manner when he heard that, "He got you there, Ten!" Similar to Tatsuko, the old man had been watching over us, bantering like kids from sidelines, with interest.

Angel grit her teeth in frustration, her face flushed with anger and embarrassment with her eyes started watering as if she were on the verge of crying, and with quivering lips she shouted at both of me and Shakadō, "I hate you both so much!!!"

The only response she got from that was a scream full of pain coming from me and a bark of laughter coming from Shakadō, meanwhile Tatsuko rested her head on top of her arms, looking at us with a happy smile and a light giggle leaving her lips with how lively her home had become now.

And she loves every bit of it.